Oasis in Valley for Amarnath pilgrims amid protests

PTIJul 2, 2008, 01.11pm IST

SRINAGAR: The Amarnath pilgrims who passed through the Kashmir valley in the past 10 days will remember it not for the violent protests on the land transfer row, but for the warm hospitality of the Muslims.

Although hotels and eateries were closed on account of the violence, they didn't have to look far to find food and shelter with the Muslims opening community kitchens and making arrangements for their overnight's stay in the valley.

The police, who had stopped 'yatris' returning from the cave shrine at Nunwan and Baltal base camps, also eased restrictions after seeing 'langars' at various places like Dalgate and Boulevard.

The people's gesture of communal harmony and brotherhood apart, hardline separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani had appealed to the protesters not to "harm the pilgrims as it will be against the teachings of Islam".

"We found the pilgrims, men, women and children, stranded here and decided to arrange free food and shelter for them," Mohammad Saleem, a volunteer from Gagribal, told PTI.

They started the 'langars' on the fifth day of the stir and provided food to around 2,000 pilgrims a day. "We have fed thousands of Hindu devotees, mostly returning from the Amarnath cave, so far," he said

75-year-old Shantibai, a 'yatri' from Gujarat, who was accompanied by her husband and two sons, recalls being helped by the locals twice.

"A Muslim youth helped us reach the cave shrine of Lord Shiva and again a Muslim provided us food and shelter when we returned. We offered them money but they politely refused," Shantibai said.